Fantasy
by Perhapsormaybe
Summary: Ben starts to realize that he may be more than platonic in his feelings towards Kevin. But how can he tell another guy - worse, another guy who seems to be in love with Ben's own cousin - that he might be falling for him. Ben/kevin, slight Gwen/Kevin
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **This is my first time writing Ben/Kevin. So please, take it easy on me. Special thanks to LadyLalasa for our 3 page discussion on how fun Ben/Kevin can be compared to other ships, and Misery Loves Fanfics, because it's all her fault I like this couple. If you don't like the story, fine, explain why. But please, no flaming/bad reviews because you dislike the pairing. No one's making you read this.

_Ben was swinging. At first, he was all alone. The playground was covered in fog, but he wasn't scared. He just continued to swing, his eyes focused on the horizon._

Another figure emerged from the fog - Kevin. Kevin said nothing to him, merely sat down in the empty swing beside where Ben was. Two more figures came a moment later. Julie and Gwen. Julie stood before Ben, and Gwen stood before Kevin.

"What's going on?" Ben finally asked, dragging his feet to stop the swing. He held on tightly to the chains, twisting them as he turned to face Kevin. "Kevin?"

"Choices," Kevin grunted.

"What, I'm supposed to choose between Gwen and Julie?" Ben asked, bewildered. Kevin shook his head, and he himself began to swing, ignoring Ben's calls to him to stop, to explain what was going on. "Well, gee, that helps," Ben said sarcastically.

The alarm in Ben Tennyson's room went off so suddenly he actually jumped. "Wow. Crazy dream," Ben said as he switched the alarm off.

He stopped to puzzle over it. His past ten or so dreams had featured both Kevin and Gwen every time. He laughed at himself. "I'm over thinking this," he thought out loud. "I spend so much time with them when I'm awake, my subconscious thinks they're supposed to be there all the time, too."

Ben finally slided off of his bed to get ready for school. He'd taken his shower last night, so now all he had to do was find some clean clothes. "...Hope mom did laundry," he said to himself, realizing that the clothes that littered his floor where all far too dirty for him to wear today. He only had his boxers on right now. Shrugging to himself, he made his way downstairs, hoping to find clean clothes in the laundry room.

"Nice boxers, Tennyson." Kevin stood in the door frame between the livingroom and the kitchen, his arms crossed. Carl was studying Kevin over his newspaper, but Ben didn't worry about _that_. Carl and Sandra Tennyson both approved of Kevin, even if they did think he was a 'ruffian'.

Ben looked away, embarrassed that Kevin had seen him like this. It was just awkward. "Mom, do I have clean clothes somewhere?"

"No," Sandra said, pouring herself some orange juice. "Because a certain someone didn't pick up his clothes and put them in the laundry basket so that I'd know they were dirty."

Ben sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry," Ben ran upstairs, hoping to find something, _anything_ that was passably clean enough to get him through the day.

"Wow, Ben, your place looks like you got raided," Kevin had followed Ben up the stairs, and was now looking around the room, an amused smile on his lips.

"I haven't had much time to clean...not with all the DNalien attacks," Ben defended himself. "Just help me find something that's clean..." Kevin raised an eyebrow, "Okay, fine, fine, something that's clean _enough_."

Kevin said nothing else, just started picking clothes up and examining them. His calm demeanor was starting to frustrate Ben, who was certain he was going to be late for school at this rate. "Why are you here, anyways?" Ben asked, examining a white t-shirt. He found a stain and deemed it too dirty. He tossed it onto his bed.

"Came to give you a ride."

"You didn't pick up Gwen first?"

Kevin shook his head. "She's away on some school trip this week, remember?"

Ben nodded. In truth, Gwen's field trip (some sort of academic contest, Ben recalled), had completely slipped from his mind. Ben frowned. He would love to have his cousin's input on the strange dreams he'd been having. _Guess it'll just have to wait until she gets back,_ he decided.

"Here, try these," Kevin threw a pair of jeans and a black shirt at Ben. "They don't smell too funky."

"Thanks," Ben pulled the jeans on. He glanced up at Kevin, who was determinedly looking away. _That's weird..._. Ben pulled his shirt on over his head. "Well, there we go. Not too bad, right?"

"I'd spray some cologne if you got it," Kevin suggested. "They were just the best pick out of a bad bunch, if you get my meaning."

Ben nodded. "Yeah...I've got some body spray. Hold on," Ben ran down the hall and sprayed some "For Men" body spray on, perhaps just a bit too liberally. He ran back into his room. "How about now?"

"Are you seriously asking me to sniff you?" Kevin asked.

"Guess that'd be a little weird," Ben admitted. He glanced at the clock. "Oh, shoot...I'm gonna be late! We've got to get going."

"All right," Kevin rose up and pulled the keys out of his pocket, jiggling them as he went. He passed Ben, leading the way. Before Ben could leave the room, Kevin turned around. "That stuff smells pretty good," Ben just stared at him. Apparently feeling the need to throw a jab in, Kevin added "But you smell like you went swimming in it."


	2. Lies

**Author's Note: **So, I have a new proboard for Alien Force, and we're gearing up to host a fanfiction writing contest. Official rules should be posted on the board by the end of today (you don't have to become a member to enter, but you won't be able to vote if you don't join). You can find a link to the board in my profile. Oh, I notice some people put me on their author alert after reading this story…I warn you, if you only read Bevin, you might want to take me off that list. While I'm going to continue to write Bevin stories, I'm also going to continue with Gwevin.

**Review responses:**

**Ladylasa: **Hey, well, a lot of this is your fault. How is it two Gwevin shippers like us spent one page talking about Gwevin and then 4 pages talking about Bevin? Well, I guess neither of us just ships Gwevin, at least not anymore.

**LovePsycho: **Yay, cookies!

**MintyChinchilla: **"Word on the street"? …There's a street? I'm being talked about on said street? I'm afraid now. Thanks for the very sweet review.

**HeartofaGoddess2009: **Thanks for the kind review.

* * *

The school day passed in the usual fog of boredom for Ben. He was unfocused, his thoughts still lingering on his strange dream. Luckily for him, the day had passed fairly quickly. He sighed as he unlocked his locker, depositing the books he didn't have homework in there and grabbing his Algebra book.

Ben looked up, a sudden realization hitting him. Julie usually waited for him at his locker at the end of the day. So where was she now? He dropped his Algebra book into his backpack, took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed frantically.

"Hello?" Julie sounded a little frustrated.

"Julie, where are you?"

"I have practice today. And I've gotta go…coach is glaring at me," with that, the line went dead. Ben stared at the phone for a few moments, trying to work out why he couldn't seem to remember her telling him about practice. In fact, he was certain that she hadn't mentioned it. Wasn't tennis season over?

Deciding it was nothing to worry about, he shouldered his backpack and headed outside. Instinctively, he headed to the bike rack. He scanned it a few times, before remembering Kevin had given him a ride this morning. So, of course, his bike was in the garage at home.

"Great," Ben muttered, kicking a rock out of the way. A loud honk came from the parking lot to his left, but Ben ignored it. _Probably just some parent trying to get their kid's attention_.

The honk came again, but this time it sounded closer. _Guess the kid's not paying attention_, Ben noted, continuing on his way.

The third honk, this time sounding like it was right behind him, finally got him to turn around. There was Kevin, leaning out the side of his car. "Do you want a ride or not, Tennyson?" he shouted.

Ben nodded, and ran over. He climbed into the front seat and stared at Kevin for a moment. "Since when do you pick me up from school?"

"You know, I can still make you walk," Kevin pointed out.

Ben took the hint.

"All right, fair enough. But you usually only pick me up from school if we're about to go on patrol, or if we're gonna hang out with Gwen."

Kevin muttered something. Ben leaned toward him, trying to catch it. "I can't understand what you said. You said it too low….you're…sore?"

"I said I'm bored," Kevin admitted, putting the car back into gear and slowly rolling forward. His foot hovered above the gas pedal. "Gwen's out of town and…I don't know, I just wanted to hang out. Problem?" He asked, turning to face Ben. Ben smiled.

"No, it's not a problem. It's just we've never really hung out together without Gwen or Julie. What did you want to do?"

"Dunno," Kevin admitted.

"Well, we can decide after we go to Mr. Smoothy's. They have a new flavor out – blue raspberry blueberry mocha mint."

"That sounds disgusting."

"It's the only flavor I haven't tried," Ben explained, pulling a few dollars out of his backpack before dumping it in the back seat. "It's my treat."

"I don't want to try it," Kevin said, shaking his head. "How many smoothies do you drink in a week, anyways?"

"Depends on how much allowance I got for the month," Ben answered. "And whether or not I can get Gwen to pay for a few."

Kevin was silent for several minutes after that, and Ben wondered if the mention of Gwen was the reason. Ben frowned, feeling suddenly aggravated. He ran a hand through his hair, as though it would loosen those thoughts. Finally, he just leaned forward and turned the radio on.

"Don't even think about changing the station," Kevin warned.

Ben hadn't thought about it. He wasn't really paying attention to the music, he just wanted something to distract him from the unusual irritation he felt at his cousin. _I'm probably just annoyed that she's not here_. Nope. _That_ was a lie, he was sure of it. He couldn't really figure out why he felt so annoyed that Kevin had gotten quiet after Gwen's name was mentioned.

"Earth to space cadet," Kevin tapped Ben on the shoulder, and jerked a thumb towards the smoothie establishment. "We getting this to go or what?"

"I'll go grab the smoothies. Then we can go to Grandpa Max's old fishing spot."

"What, hoping to run into your grandma again?"

Ben shook his head. "Nah…it's just a good place to think." With that, the brunette hurried inside. He paid for the new flavor of smoothie for himself, and a soda for Kevin. The clerk handed him his receipt, and told him to wait until number forty-two was called. Ben moved over so the clerk could get the next person in line, but he leaned against the counter as he waited.

Something he saw out of the corner of his eye made him jump. It was a small flash of pink – Julie. Julie was sitting in a booth, doing homework and munching chili fries. _I thought she was at practice_. Ben looked for a sign that she was with someone – not necessarily cheating, maybe just out with a friend. But the young Asian girl seemed to be completely alone. _Why would she lie to me?_

"Forty-two?" the clerk called. Ben grabbed his smoothie and Kevin's soda and bolted for the door, hoping Julie hadn't spotted him.

"You look like you've seen a …" Kevin stopped there, looking thoughtful. "Well, I can't think of anything scarier than Highbreeds or Dnaliens…"

"Julie was in there."

"So? Did you want her to come with us?"

"No…it's just…she told me she had practice today," Ben explained. He pulled his cell phone out and checked the time. "If that was true, she'd still be at the school right now."

"So, maybe her coach let her out early," Kevin suggested. Ben shook his head.

"Her scooter's parked near the door, I saw it on my way out. It takes about fifteen minutes to get here from the school on that, and that would only give her time for a five minute practice. Julie lied to me."

Kevin rubbed his neck and kicked his boot along the pavement, trying to think of what to say. "Well, was she with another guy?" He finally asked. Ben shook his head.

"That's the even weirder part. She's not cheating on me, she was just…doing homework," Ben was bewildered. Not only was his girlfriend lying to him, she would rather do homework than spend time with him.

"I dunno, Ben," Kevin admitted, shrugging. "Maybe you should…I dunno…go talk to her about it?"

Ben shook his head. "Nah, let's just head to Grandpa's spot. I need some time away from girls right now…I just need to think everything out."

Kevin said nothing, just handed Ben the smoothie that Ben had set down and got into the car. Ben followed suit. They drove in silence, Ben's thoughts whirring.

The dream had been about choices…Julie had been there. Maybe it was trying to warn him that he had to make a choice about Julie or she'd leave him? But then, why was Gwen there? And strangest of all….why had Kevin been there?


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **the plumbersplayground board is looking for people to role play as different characters from the show. I figure fanfiction writers are some of the best people to ask (Please note – Ben and Kevin are already taken, but literally everyone else is still up for grabs. You'll find rules and a full explanation at the proboard. http colon two forward slashes plumbersplayground dot proboards dot com). Please give the board a look, if you have the time.

Kevin glanced over at Ben, wondering what the brunette seemed so distracted by today. Normally Ben was a rather chatty guy. _More like he won't shut up most of the time_, Kevin noted, his gaze drifting lazily back to the road. Kevin sighed. If something was wrong with Ben, he was going to have to take care of it. Deep down, it was fueled by a desire to help Ben, but on the surface, Kevin convinced himself that he was only doing this because Gwen would want him to.

"So…you need to talk about it?"

"About what?" Ben asked, fiddling with his seat belt.

"Come on, man. Your girlfriend's sneaking off to your favorite joint to eat by herself and do homework. That's gotta be bugging you."

"Of course it is," Ben agreed, "But it's not just that Julie's doing that. It's that…" They reached the lake, but Kevin merely put the car in park and turned off the ignition, trying to let Ben know he wanted Ben to tell him what was going on. "Well, she's not cheating on me, but she's hiding something from me and lying to me, and I've been having all these crazy dreams lately about swing sets and choices and –"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Tennyson," Kevin held out his hands in a sort of 'stop' motion. "I'm trying to help, but I can't do that if you throw everything at me at once. I'm not so good at the whole dream interpretation thing, so why don't we just focus on Julie?"

"Well, let's talk outside of the car," Ben said, releasing himself from the seatbelt and jumping out of the car. Kevin shrugged, but did as he was asked.

"Well, we're out of the car now," Kevin pointed out. "Now are we going to talk about it?"

Ben studied the older boy for a few moments, looking puzzled. "What?" Kevin asked, irritated with being studied so intently.

"It's just…since when do you really care about my personal life?"

"I don't," Kevin insisted, staring determinedly at the lake. "Gwen does, though. And she's not here, so I guess you need someone to talk about it to, so, here I am. Plus your fighting really stinks when you get too upset over something."

"I was upset when I kicked your butt a few months back," Ben pointed out, referring to when they had first met up again after Kevin's time in the Null Void.

"Whatever," Kevin dismissed the subject, finally looking at Ben. "Point is, if your cousin comes back and you're still moping around, she's gonna get mad at me and think it's my fault."

Ben crossed his arms, irate. Why did they both have to keep bringing Gwen up? Couldn't they enjoy a day without her there physically _or _in spirit? Ben furrowed his brow, wondering why he cared so much. He and Kevin just didn't hang out one-on-one that often. And suddenly, Ben felt like he regretted that.

"Look, why don't we go somewhere else?" Ben asked. The lake was too much his and Gwen's to share. Kevin would always associate this place with both Tennysons (and quite possibly Verdona – she was just too hard to forget), so Kevin would be preoccupied with thoughts of Gwen here.

Kevin shrugged, not really caring one way or the other. He was wondering, though, why Ben's left eye was…well, it wasn't twitching like it would when Ben told a complete lie, but it seemed to Kevin that Ben was closing his left eye a bit more than his right.

"Whatever." For Kevin, this was pretty much agreeing. "Where do you want to go?"

* * *

"Hello?" Ben answered his cell phone without checking the caller i.d. – he and Kevin were far too absorbed in a wrestling match on television for him to peel his eyes away long enough to check.

"Hey, Ben!"

"Gwen?" Ben tried to whisper the name, but Kevin had heard. He gave Ben a strange look, and then glanced at the cell. Though he said nothing, Ben got the feeling Kevin wanted to talk to Gwen too. Ben ignored this instinct, though, and headed for Kevin's kitchen to take the call (after all, Kevin liked to keep his tv volume all the way up – there was practically no way to hear Gwen while he was in there).

"How's the competition going?" Ben asked, shrugging up a shoulder to keep the phone pressed to his ear so as to free his hands while he raided the fridge. He grabbed a soda and popped the top off before returning the cell to his hand.

"Well, we come back the day after tomorrow…Our school didn't win but we did get second, so the teachers are giving us a day at the theme park tomorrow." Gwen sounded very cheerful to Ben, but after knowing her for so long, as well as he did, he knew there was something on her mind she was reluctant to bring up.

"That's great. It'll be good to see you," Ben sighed, before adding, "Kevin will be really happy you're back. He gets really quiet and sulky when you're not around."

Gwen laughed on the other end, and Ben couldn't help but notice that she sounded relieved. "Well, take good care of him. Make sure you don't let him get too lonely, okay?"

"Yeah…oh, uh, did you want to talk to him?"

"Okay, sure," Gwen agreed. Ben headed back for the living room, and extended the arm with the phone out to Kevin. Neither boy said anything. Kevin merely seized the phone and started chatting animatedly with Gwen.

Kevin's bad mood seemed to have lifted a bit just from being able to hear Gwen's voice. Ben felt frustrated, but he merely plopped himself down on the couch, focusing on the wrestlers.

"Umm..yeah, I guess….fine, fine, I miss you. Happy?" Kevin was apparently being coerced by Gwen. "Why do you sound so worried? No. …oh, Ben told you about that? He didn't? then how did you?....Julie told you? So, then, you know why she did it?...what do you mean you can't tell me?"

Ben leaned forward. Apparently, Julie had revealed why she'd lied to Ben to Gwen. But she wasn't giving the secret up to Kevin. "All right, fine," Kevin said. "Bye." Kevin hung up the phone and handed it back to Ben, who pocketed it.

"What did she say about Julie?" Ben asked.

"Some stupid thing about Julie thinking you like someone else," Kevin explained. "Gwen wouldn't tell me who it is."

"Oh."

"So, who is it?" Kevin asked, trying to appear casual.

Ben shook his head. "I don't _like _anyone else. Really. I've got a great girlfriend…Julie's awesome. I just…" Ben lowered his head, finally admitting it out loud. "I just don't like her as more than a friend."

"So, who's the new chick?"

Ben glared. "That's just it! I don't have anyone else I like."

"Gwen seems to agree with Julie," Kevin told him. "Like I said, she wouldn't tell me who it was, and I didn't think to ask her if the girl likes you back." Kevin smirked. "Didn't take you for a player, Ben."

"I'm not!" Ben insisted. "They're both crazy. I don't like anyone...there's no way they know something I don't, right?"

"Dunno, man. Chicks have a sharp nose about this kind of stuff," Kevin explained. "You know how gaga they all go over romance."

"I guess...but can you like someone without realizing it?"

**Author's note: **Yes, yes, I keep putting Gwevin in there. No, it's not just because I like the pairing. It will play an important role. The heavy Bevin stuff is coming up, I promise.


	4. DreamWeaver

**Author's Note: **So, this should be one of a few chapters posted today. I want to finish as much as possible today because I'm going on a trip on April 7th (assuming the doctor doesn't find anything wrong that day. ….). Also, in response to Birds of a Feather – I am now completely convinced Ben is truly gay. What straight man shakes his butt like that?

**Minty Chinchilla: **The more I enjoy writing a story, the faster I update. Plus this one has a few scenes I've planned out that I'm eager to get to, but require more before I can write them….so that's part of my motivation as well. And I joined the lj community.

**Yaoi loveing wolf: **Strange? What's strange? I can't tell if you're responding to a scene or if you're saying someone's reaction was strange (yes, I freak out over small things. I'm almost 8 months pregnant, I'm allowed to.). Please give a further explanation, especially if I let someone go out of character.

**Figs: **Much obliged. Thank you for the sweet review.

**LadyLasa: **Well, this is about as much your fault as **Misery Loves Fanfics**. All those discussions really got the creative juices flowing. So thank you.

**Misery Loves Fanfics**: My favorite Ben is a confused Ben. He's just very adorable when he doesn't know what's going on.

_

* * *

_

This time, Julie wasn't there. Ben was sitting on that same swing set, with Kevin beside him. The fog was still so dense he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him, but it was enough to see Gwen. She'd moved. Last time, she'd been directly in front of Kevin.

_This time, however, she was standing more in the middle - her eyes focused on Kevin._

_Kevin seemed to be avoiding looking at her, swinging higher and higher, his long muscular legs pumping as fast as he could._

_"I don't get it," Ben said softly, shuffling his feet against the ground.  
Gwen's attention turned to him._

_"It should be obvious," she admitted. "I'm not sure why you haven't realized it yet."_

_"Realized what?" Ben asked. "I need your help. You won't tell me what's going on, and I can't stop having this dream...every night I'm in the same swing, at the same playground. What is going on here, Gwen?"_

_"Choices," she and Kevin said in unison._

_Unable to hold it back, Ben jumped to his feet, glaring at his two best friends. "I get that it's about choices, but what choice am I supposed to be making here? You're both my friends, and you both get along...maybe a little too well sometimes, but--"_

_"Maybe you're starting to get it," Gwen said without any hint of emotion._

_"I'm getting what?!" Ben asked, reaching for her. The moment his hands touched her, she melted away. Ben looked back at Kevin, who was still swinging, his form almost as high as the beam from which the swings were suspended. "Kevin, what's going on here?"_

_"I won't know the full thing 'til you do, Tennyson."_

"BEN, YOU'RE DROOLING ALL OVER MY COUCH, MAN!" Kevin's voice broke through Ben's dream.

"Sorry...guess I dozed off," Ben said apologetically, wiping the drool away with the back of his sleeve.

"That's disgusting, dude," Kevin shook his head and plopped down on the couch next to Ben. "You're gonna pay for that if it stains."

"All right," Ben agreed. "Kevin? What time is it?"

Kevin nodded towards the cable box that was perched on top of his TV. The bright green numbers claimed it was twelve past midnight. Twelve minutes passed curfew if he wasn't fighting aliens.

"Oh no," Ben groaned, pulling out his cell. He pushed speed dial 1 and waited for one of his parents to pick up. "Yeah, hi mom...just checking in. Uh...no...Not tonight. Yeah, I know what we agreed, but I...umm...huh? No, I'm at Kevin's. Kevin?....the ruffian. Yeah, that guy. ...I don't think he'd like that..."

"Like what?" Kevin asked, irritated he was being talked about.

"Mom thinks I should spend the night," Ben explained, holding a hand over the mouthpiece of his cell.

"Why?"

"She doesn't like the idea of us on the roads at night unless we need to be there."

"So lie and say a Dnalien just attacked," Kevin suggested. Ben shook his head. "Why not?"

"Because, mom just overheard you," Ben explained. He turned his attention back to the phone.

"Yeah, he is a bad influence...Do you really want to drive that far?"

"All right, all right, don't tell your mom to get you," Kevin threw his hands up in surrender. "You can spend the night. Tell your mom I'll have you home tomorrow morning."

"Oh, Kevin changed his mind. Yeah, he's letting me stay the night. Nah, I don't need anything. Love you too. Bye, mom."

Kevin groaned. "You're not getting my bed, man, so don't even bother asking."

"That's fine. I can sleep on the couch," Ben agreed, throwing off his jacket. He paused for a moment, seeming to consider something. "Uh...Kevin?"

"What?"

"Do you have an extra pair of pajamas I can borrow?"

Kevin stared at him. Ben felt a blush reach his cheeks, wondering what was so odd about his request.

"Do I look like the kinda guy who wears pajamas?"

"No..." Ben admitted. "But what do you wear to bed, then?"

Kevin did a face palm. "Boxer shorts, duh. And I'm gonna warn you, it gets hot in here and I don't crank up the ac. You're going to want to get out of your day clothes."

"Oh...okay," Ben said, pulling his shirt off over his head. When Kevin came back into site again, he looked both bewildered and frustrated.

"Don't strip in front of me!" Kevin said, shaking his head and stomping off towards his own bedroom.

"Sheesh, wonder what his problem is," Ben said to himself. "Not like he didn't see me in less this morning." Ben removed his pants and set them on the back of the couch, on top of his shirt. He lay down on the couch, trying to let his mind settle.

He wanted to go back to sleep. He _needed_ to...he had to know what his dreams were trying to tell him.

* * *

_"Okay...back to where I started," Ben said aloud, this time jumping up from the swings before Kevin or Gwen appeared. Gwen looked a little upset when she saw him standing, but Kevin ignored them both, resuming his spot on the swingset. "Gwen, what's going on?" Ben demanded. "And don't give that 'choices' answer. What choice am I supposed to be making here? Or are you supposed to make it?"_

_"I already made mine," Gwen said sadly. "You and Kevin have to make yours."_

_"About **what**?" Ben demanded. He looked back at Kevin, trying to gain some form of assistance. "What do you think this is about?"_

_"He won't know until you know," Gwen repeated Kevin's statement from his nap. "Him being able to make a choice means you have to make yours first. Otherwise..."_

_"Is something going to happen to Kevin?" Ben asked. "If I don't figure out my choice...will something bad happen to him?" He studied Kevin carefully, trying to see if the older boy had some inkling of what was going on here. But Kevin merely began to swing, much more slowly than he had last time. _

_"Not physically," Gwen admitted. _

_"Then what will happen to him?" _

_Gwen smiled. "If you never realize it, he'll never realize it. He'll live, but...he won't be happy. Not..." she stopped herself, and shook her head sadly. "You have to make your choice, Ben. Julie knows you need to make this choice. Why do you think she left you alone?"_

_Ben gaped at his cousin. "Because she thinks I like some other girl..." he recalled Kevin's conversation with Gwen. "But I really don't! I mean, yeah, I realize now that I don't like Julie as more than a friend, but that doesn't mean there's some other girl..."_

_Gwen laughed humorlessly. "Denial's only going to make this harder, Ben." She watched Kevin for a few moments before she spoke again. "I think you'll get it soon. I really hope you do..." Her voice began to fade, and she followed soon after. _

_Leaving Ben alone with Kevin on the playground until morning would wake Ben up._

* * *

"Gwen, when are you going to bed?" Her roommate for the trip, a girl named Katherine, asked, throwing a pillow at her. "I can hear you muttering, and I swear I keep seeing a purple light."

"Oh that's...that's nothing," Gwen lied, forcing a smile. "Just go back to bed." Katherine shrugged, but seemed to take Gwen's advice, but this time she threw the covers over her head, presumable to keep any light out.

"Do you get it yet, Ben?" Gwen asked softly, wondering whether her cousin would be upset with her for tampering with his dreams. She sighed. "Well, it's for his own good," she said to herself, before stretching out on the bed, waiting for her own dreams to overtake her. And, she admitted to herself, finally, in the dark "Kevin's, too."


	5. Realization

Ben sat up, puzzling over his dream. This time, the cable box said it was two in the morning. Ben had slept for only two hours. But now, his thoughts were racing so quickly he doubted he'd ever go back to sleep.

_Someone I like....Gwen's just my cousin, and I don't hang out with any other girls,_ Ben searched his mind frantically, but the only females he spent time with were all related to him. Except for Julie, of course, but she wasn't the answer either.

"What's wrong?" Kevin had come back into the living room, on his way to the kitchen for a midnight snack. But Ben's whimpering had temporarily side tracked him. "You keep making a funny noise..."

"I'm thinking," Ben explained.

"Ah. So that's the sound of your brain trying not to explode," Kevin joked. Ben glared.

"It just doesn't make sense," Ben said finally.

"What, are we still on what Julie was up to?" Kevin headed towards the kitchen and grabbed a soda. He flicked the living room light on before taking a seat in the recliner beside the sofa. "I already told ya. Gwen said that Julie's just staying out of your way so you can get started with this other girl."

A shocking thought occurred to Ben. One so disconcerting, he didn't want to mention it, but he had to. It was the only possibility he hadn't examined. "Uh...Kevin...did she actually _say_ another girl?"

"Yeah, she said you liked someone else," Kevin took a swig of his soda, not realizing he hadn't grasped Ben's meaning.

"No, I mean...did she say ...did she say the word _girl_?"

"No," Kevin admitted. It took a moment to register. "Wait....are you saying you like a guy? Seriously, Tennyson?"

"I don't know if that's what she meant," Ben faked a laugh, "I'm just wondering. I don't like any guys, I promise." Ben insisted, feeling a sudden pang in his chest - Kevin's expression was shocked and a little uneasy.

"Okay, if you say so," Kevin finished off his soda, crushed the can, and threw it on the table. "Get some more sleep, man. And if you have any more weird dreams, you should tell Gwen about 'em."

"Think she'd be able to help?"

"I think that I can't," Kevin said simply.

* * *

Later that day, after he'd been dropped off, Ben sat on his bed and pulled his phone out. He paused for a moment, before dialing his cousin's number. "Gwen?" Ben waited for her to respond. "Gwen, I know you picked up the phone. I need to talk to you."

"Sorry, Ben," Gwen said suddenly, "I was just thinking about something. So, what's wrong?"

"Dreams," Ben explained. For a moment, Gwen felt her heartbeat quicken. _Please don't figure out I'm doing it..._, she prayed. "I'm having these really weird ones, and...Well, with what happened with Julie, they're hinting at something that's...." Ben forced a chuckle, "well, completely ridiculous, really."

Gwen let out a sigh of relief. Ben wasn't on to her. "Oh? And what's ridiculous?"

"My dreams are hinting that I like someone I couldn't."

"Why couldn't you?"

"Because he ---because the person," Ben corrected himself, "Likes someone else." _And because I'm not gay_, Ben added to himself.

"Even if uh...this 'person' likes someone else, it doesn't mean you don't like hi--them," Gwen clutched the phone with both hands, trying to take comfort in the motion. "Ben...I'm going to ask you a question. You have to be honest."

"Of course," Ben agreed.

"Do you like Kevin?"

Ben paused. "Well, he's not as bad as he used to be. So yeah, I like him sometimes. He's not a bad friend."

"That's not what I mean, Ben."

"What about how you feel about him?"

"This isn't about me, Ben," Gwen said impatiently. "I need to know. It doesn't necessarily mean you're gay...love is love."

"So now you're jumping from thinking I have a man-crush to thinking I'm in _love_ with him?" Ben frowned. "It's not true, Gwen. I don't love Kevin."

"Fine," Gwen said sharply, "I'll talk to you later." she hung up the phone, leaving Ben bewildered.

"Why does she care so much?" Ben muttered, closing his cell a little too roughly. "I don't like Kevin that way. _She_ does...."

"She does what?" Kevin stood in the door frame. Before Ben could ask how he'd gotten in, Kevin held up a metal plated hand. "How many times are you going to break the back door? We have a door bell."

"This way's more fun," Kevin said simply, sitting down in the computer chair. "Now, are you ready to stop moping around?"

"I'm not moping...just thinking," Ben glanced down at the floor again.

"Hey Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"You know, I'm not going to bug you about it if you do like some guy or whatever. ....well, I'll probably tease you a little," Kevin admitted. "But it won't be anything serious. I don't care how you swing, man."

The word 'swing' brought Ben's thoughts back to his dreams. Ben gulped. "Well, I may know who it is now."

"Oh?" Kevin tried to appear like he wasn't interested.

Ben's words tumbled out, without any careful thought. "Apparently it means you..." Ben's green eyes tried to make contact with Kevin's black ones, but Kevin said nothing. He just rose from his chair, and walked out. He paused before he reached the hallway.

"I uh..." Kevin shook his head, "I'll see you around," he said finally, before leaving. Ben didn't stop him. He just watched him leave.

"Oh great," Ben muttered. "Way to screw that one up, Tennyson..." Ben glanced at his phone, wondering if he should call Gwen and tell her what had happened, but he quickly decided against it. He just wanted to be alone for right now.


	6. There's a Fine, Fine Line

**Author's Note: **This chapter is named after the song "There's a Fine, Fine Line" from Avenue Q. It heavily inspired Gwen's actions in this story, especially this chapter.

"Kevin!" Gwen ran down the bus's stairs and embraced the raven head. "Where's Ben?" she asked as she released him. Kevin shrugged.

"Dunno."

"Kevin...did something happen?" Gwen asked, hiking the shoulder up on her backpack as it started to slip. Kevin shook his head. "Okay. Well, are we doing anything tonight?"

"No patrol," he said simply.

"Fine, fine, but what I mean is...are we doing anything together? You know...you, me, and Ben? Like we usually do on nights we're not fighting aliens?...and nights we are, really, but I'm talking about just grabbing a bite to eat."

Something seemed to occur to Kevin, and he nodded. "Yeah...you and me. We're gonna go to that cafe on 31'st tonight. Okay?"

"All right, I'll call Ben and tell him," Gwen started to dig for her cell, but Kevin grabbed her hand. "What?"

"No Ben," He said firmly. "Just you and me. You know... a date."

Gwen raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. "All right, Kevin. Give me a ride home?"

"Yeah, sure."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, Gwen, do you want to hang out tonight?" Ben asked, his tone hopeful. He was over needing alone time - now he needed someone supportive, and he figured Gwen was the best choice. Thus why they were both sitting on her front porch.

"I'd like to, Ben, really, but Kevin already asked," Gwen admitted. "I was getting ready when you came over."

"Oh..." He said softly. "Wait...Kevin's going to be _here_?"

"Yeah...In a few minutes..."

"I better go," Ben said, grabbing onto the stair railing and using it to hoist himself up. "Don't tell him I was here, okay?"

"Okay, but it might help if you told me what was going on. Kevin was acting funny when he came to pick me up, and now you're acting weird too..."

"It's a long story...oh no, that's gotta be him!" Ben dived into the bushes, certain he'd heard Kevin's car racing up the street.

"Ben...get out of the rose bush. It's just the neighbors."

"Oh...okay," Ben rose to his feet and brushed himself off. "But I'm gonna head out now, before Kevin gets here. Bye." He took off running, slamming the face down on the omnitrix as he went. He transformed into Jetray and took off, wanting to get as far away as possible.

It was good timing on his part. Soon enough, the car coming up the street really _was_ Kevin's. He pulled into the driveway, still looking a bit out of sorts. Gwen sighed. This was going to be a hard night for her...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you going to eat or not?" Gwen asked, watching Kevin push the eggs around on his plate.

"Guess I'm just not hungry."

"All right, that does it," Gwen insisted, setting down her fork. "You and Ben are both always scarfing food down here. If you're not eating, something's wrong. Spill."

"No. It's stupid."

"Is this about Ben?"

"Yeah, I guess," Kevin admitted, shifting in his seat. Gwen's gaze was piercing, and it was making him feel like she was examining him. "But I don't wanna talk about it."

Gwen sighed. "Fine, then. But what brought you around?" Her voice was softer now.

"To what?"

"You finally asked me out. I've been bugging you about it for months, and you never made a move before. What pushed you?"

"Nothing _pushed_ me," Kevin insisted, "I just wanted to go on a date with you. Thought you'd like that."

"I would," she admitted, "If I thought it was what you wanted."

Kevin's eyes finally met hers. "What do you mean by that? I've liked you a long time."

"You used to," Gwen agreed. "Maybe you still kind of do, but ....I already warned you months ago, Kevin. Each time you had a chance with me and you let it pass by, you were letting some of what you felt for me go. Maybe some of it's still left, but now..."

Kevin had jumped up from his side of the booth and now had his lips pressed to hers. She kissed back, her arms automatically going around his neck. A moment later, they broke apart. Gwen looked close to tears, and Kevin merely felt confused.

"That...that wasn't how I imagined it would feel," Kevin admitted. He was still standing beside her, and once again, he was determined not to make eye contact.

"Yeah, I know. You don't like me this way anymore, Kevin. This isn't what you want."

"I know...but...but I'm not gay, Gwen. Ben told me he likes me. _Me_. I don't know what the hell he's pulling here, but it's not funny."

"If it was a joke," Gwen said slowly, "I think Ben would be here to laugh at you about it. And Ben wouldn't joke about something this serious…he can be a bit immature, but he's not that mean." She removed some money from her purse and set it on the table. "I'll see you later, Kevin."

"Yeah...night, Gwen."

"How long are you going to stay here?"

"Dunno. Did you need a ride home?" Kevin asked. Gwen shook her head. "Well, I'm just gonna be here a bit longer, then. I ...I need to think about some things."

"All right, Kevin." Gwen rose, and Kevin sat back down in the booth, staring down at the table. Gwen hugged him around the neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she hurried off, wondering how she could get to Ben. This needed to be resolved tonight, or it might never be.


	7. I'm Not Joking

**Reviewer Responses:**

**Figs: **Ah yes, and therein lies the problem. Both boys really can be dense at times, and I don't want to move the story too fast. Another reason for the fast updates – I have so many scenes I want to write, and I don't want to write them until it's the right time.

**Misery Loves Fanfics: **At first, it wasn't going to be Gwen, but then I realized no one's dreams are that neatly laid out, so I had to figure out how to explain it…and Gwen was right there, so, there we go. And there's nothing wrong with staying up till 5 in the morning thinking up plot bunnies. I only stayed up until about 2 in the morning with plot bunnies, but that was also because my back was killing me and I had heart burn…anyways, kind of freaky we had the exact same idea. I'm a mind reader, yaay!

**LadyLasa: **Yeah, I have been busy. (laughs). Now more of your fanfic. Pwease?

**Minty Chinchilla: **Thank you for using the word 'realistic'. I was determined to not only have a good story, but have one that was in character and seemed plausible. And don't worry, the Gwevin's all done with now. It won't hurt you anymore.

**Lovemug: **personally, I don't find a Gwevin kiss revolting, but you're entitled to your opinion. I just felt it was important for Kevin to work out his feelings for Gwen, otherwise he couldn't move forward with Ben. I just can't write a "I see the light! I am fruiter than a fruit salad! Come here and kiss me, Ben!" kind of thing (…I really hope no author actually does that.). I felt they needed a pretty involved back story before we got to this point. But, as I promised Minty Chinchilla, the Gwevin's all done in this story. No more.

**_

* * *

_**

_Author's note/Cry for Help:_

_So, I have some Bevin drabbles and chibbis I'd like to add to the Bevin LJ community. Problem? I have no freaking idea how to post them. I = slow. Any help is appreciated._

* * *

"Ben?" Gwen tapped her cousin on the shoulder. He looked up from his smoothie, but said nothing. "Hey…what's wrong?" she asked as she slipped into the other side of the booth. She hadn't even had to track Ben to find him – he was, of course, at Mr. Smoothy's.

"Nothing," he lied, taking another sip of his smoothie. "How'd your date go?"

"Awful," Gwen said, noting that Ben immediately leaned forward, waiting for her to explain. She said nothing for a while, then added "Some good came out if it, though. I still like Kevin, but I'm starting to get over him now."

"So, nothing really happened?" Ben tried to keep the hope out of his voice, but Gwen knew him too well. She smiled.

"We kissed.."

"What?!"

Gwen smirked. "Jealous, Ben?" He crossed his arms without answering, hoping she wouldn't go into detail. His stomach felt sick as he tried to block the mental images. "Relax. There really wasn't anything to it. …Not for him, anyways."

"What do you mean?"

"Ben, Kevin's been over me for a while now. He just hadn't realized it."

"How do you get over someone without realizing it?" Ben demanded.

Gwen laughed. "You forgetting about Julie already? You got over her before you'd realized it," Her expression changed, her tone becoming far more serious. "Kevin knows now that he doesn't want to be with me. He wants you, Ben."

"Yeah, right."

"I'll admit he doesn't get it himself yet, but he needs you to help him," Gwen explained. "Will you at least go talk to him?"

"I don't think he wants to see me. I already let it slip I might have feelings for him. You didn't see the look he gave me, Gwen. I don't want to see that look ever again."

Gwen sighed, wondering how to get through to either boy. But she had to try, and Ben was much easier to convince than Kevin. "Ben, if you guys don't work this out, we're not going to have a team anymore."

Ben scoffed. "I doubt Kevin's going to want to spend more time with me after this…" he searched his vocabulary for a word strong enough to describe it. "This…fiasco. He couldn't wait to get out of my room after I told him. If I keep pushing him, he might stop fighting all together."

"Maybe," Gwen admitted, "That is a possibility. But if you don't at least try, you could still lose him. From the team, I mean."

"Great, so it's a lose-lose," Ben muttered, finishing off his smoothie.

"It's your choice, Ben," Gwen's eyes glowed for a moment. "If you change your mind, Kevin just got back to his place. He's still awake…"

"You're not going to leave me alone until I do this, are you?" Ben asked. Gwen shook her head.

"Ben, this really hurts. I felt pretty strongly about Kevin, and realizing he wanted you instead of me…it was like someone was stabbing me. If you don't—"

"You don't know that he feels the same," Ben interrupted. "Just because he doesn't like you that way anymore doesn't mean he –" He stopped at the hurt expression on his cousin's face. "I'm sorry, Gwen. I know you're just trying to help."

Gwen managed a weak smile. "It's all right. I missed my chance. That doesn't mean you should, too. In fact, if you don't make a move and someone other than a Tennyson gets Kevin, I'm never going to forgive you."

Ben gave a light laugh. "All right, all right. I'll do it. But if this backfires, it's on you, okay?"

"Of course," Gwen agreed. "Now get going."

* * *

Kevin leaned back on the couch, holding a cold soda to his face, letting its touch cool him. This was not how he'd expected his first date with Gwen Tennyson to go. He'd imagined it over and over again, and before it had always ended with them going steady. The kiss…the kiss he had always imagined being so passionate fell much closer to the old expression "like kissing your sister". He still felt a shock that he'd been over Gwen for a while and hadn't realized it.

_So why did I still think I liked her?_ Kevin asked himself, setting the soda can down on the coffee table. _She's pretty, so maybe that's what got me. …Nice body…great eyes…_ Kevin felt jolted. The eyes he imagined were distinctly Ben's, not Gwen's. "How can I even tell the difference?" He demanded of himself. "They're the same color!"

But while that was true, there was a different look to the cousins' eyes. Gwen's were caring and fierce; Ben's were often clouded over with confusion, but mainly they had that strong look of determination. And the pair Kevin had thought about were confused and hurt green eyes…the look Ben had given him right before he'd walked out of Ben's room. After Ben had said…had said _that_.

Kevin groaned, throwing his head back. "Just stop thinking about it. Tennyson's just a buddy. He didn't mean it that way, he was just having fun with you." The lie wasn't convincing Kevin, and he knew it wouldn't fool anyone else.

The doorbell ringing jarred him, making him wonder who would be at his place so late. "Door's unlocked," he called.

The door opened, and Ben walked in. He shut the door behind him and studied it. "Is it really smart to not lock the door? I mean, you've still got a lot of guys after you, right?"

"What kind of guys?" Kevin hissed, assuming Ben had meant guys in a different way than he'd truly been getting at.

"I mean tech traders. You know…guys who want you dead? Guys you've double crossed?" Ben explained. Kevin let the tension go out of his body.

"Oh."

"So…how'd the date with Gwen go?"

"It was all right," Kevin said, wondering why Ben would care. "Decided to just stay friends. You know…less complicated that way."

Ben smiled. "Gwen already told me the truth."

"Then why did you ask?" Kevin demanded. Ben shrugged, and took the recliner beside the sofa that Kevin was perched on. "What are you over here for, anyways?"

"I'm surprised you're talking to me," Ben admitted. "That's part of the reason I came. To make sure you're not going to quit the team."

"I already told you once, Tennyson, you're not gonna be able to do this without me. I'm not gonna let some alien scum take over the planet just because you got an odd sense of humor."

"So you thought I was joking?" Ben asked softly, his hands clasped together as he gave Kevin a desperate look.

"Of course you were," Kevin insisted. "Right?"

Ben stood up from the chair. For a moment, it seemed like he was about to leave. But then, instead, he sat down on the couch, beside Kevin. "I wasn't joking."

"Yeah right. And I'm telling you, it's not funny. Stop playing around with this mess."

"What's it going to take for you to realize I'm being serious right now?!" Ben demanded. Before Kevin could answer, with a surprising show of strength, Ben had knocked Kevin over on the couch and had his lips pressed to the older boy's.

For a moment, they stayed that way. Kevin had been too surprised by the action to try to stop it. But his strength returned to him, and he shoved Ben away. "What the hell, Tennyson?!" He wiped at his mouth with his hand.

Ben took a deep breath, allowing himself to calm down. "I'm sorry. It's just…this isn't a joke. Not to me, at least. You don't have to feel the same way, but I do want you to get that I'm not kidding around here." Ben looked at Kevin with the same sad look Kevin had imagined just minutes ago. "I'll go now. See you around, Kevin."

With that, Ben got up and left, leaving Kevin all alone in his apartment.

Kevin was not going to get any sleep tonight. Not when two questions weighed so heavily on his mind. Why did he enjoy that kiss? And why had it felt the way he used to imagine it would with Gwen? The answers would keep coming to him, over and over again. And each time, he would try to push them away, searching desperately for a different answer. But none ever came. The only explanation was that Ben really did like him...as for what Kevin felt about it....well, he wouldn't let himself think on it. He couldn't. Because the feeling he kept pushing back down was threatening to rise up in him and take him fully. And he couldn't stand that. He didn't want that to happen.

But it was getting harder and harder to fight it off...

**Author's note: **So, I know, pushing Ben away and practically cursing at him (for those who consider 'hell' a curse word) seems very harsh. However, to me, it also seems very Kevin. Within the terms of the show, I think Ben would have a much easier time realizing he's in love with Kevin than Kevin would with realizing he's in love with Ben. Heavily influenced by discussions with LadyLasa.


	8. Finally

Kevin hadn't looked at the clock in hours. So it was rather jarring when he finally glanced at the digital numbers and realized it was 1 p.m. He'd stayed up all night and about half the day, thinking.

Thinking of ways to try to pretend like Ben kissing him hadn't really happened. Trying to persuade himself that Ben had just been playing a really unfunny joke. But the hours had passed in frustration because Kevin knew that neither one was true.

The kiss _had_ happened.

Worse, to him at least, Kevin had...enjoyed it. Not conscious of his actions, his fingers went to his lips, reliving the warmth that had traveled through him when Ben's lips had met his. He shuddered. "No. No way. This is crazy," He insisted. The apartment echoed back the word 'crazy' at him. He shook his head. "I am not in love with Tennyson. He's my friend. Nothing else."

This time, the apartment echoed back 'else'. "Oh, shut up!" Kevin said to the walls. His words came back at him again, as just 'shut up'. Kevin growled lowly, a sore temptation to beat his own walls down almost overtaking him.

He decided against it, of course. It was only an echo. He could deal with that. "Guess I should just talk softer," Kevin said in a much lower tone of voice. He waited a moment, certain that the walls would mimic some comedy scene and echo back something he'd said earlier at him. But of course, nothing like that happened. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"I should get some sleep," He said, leaning back into his recliner. He wasn't expecting to get any sleep, not with his mind rushing the way it is. But the moment his eyes closed, he somehow managed to drift off....

_Kevin was on a playground. Ben was playing on a see-saw. Well, playing was probably not the best word for it. He was trapped at the top, because no one was on the other side of the see-saw._

Gwen was standing beside Kevin, watching Ben.

"What's going on?" Kevin asked her.

"He's waiting."

"Oh yeah? For what?"

"For you."

Kevin frowned at her. "Gwen, 'with great power comes great responsibility'," He quoted at her.

"Why are you quoting Spiderman at me?"

"Why are you tampering in my dreams?" Kevin returned, his voice hard.

Gwen smiled. "Is it that obvious? Ben didn't get it..."

"Yeah, well, Ben can be kinda slow sometimes," Kevin said with a shrug. "But I never have dreams like this, and usually what people are saying doesn't make any sense."

"I'm sorry," Gwen apologized. "But Ben never would have kissed you if I hadn't--"

"And what if I thought that was a good thing?" Kevin said harshly.

"You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do. Gwen, this whole thing is freaking me out! I..." Kevin shook his head. "I'd rather not deal with it."

Gwen pointed towards Ben. "So you want him trapped up there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look, Ben needs someone by his side. Someone who knows about the alien stuff, and someone who's going to be there for him, and who Ben can be there for. And he wants that to be you."

"Well, maybe I don't wanna be that person."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Liar."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because I know how you look at him," Gwen said simply. "You...you used to look at me that way."

Kevin's eyebrows rose involuntarily. Gwen continued. "Back when you liked me. The whole 'mooning' thing. You're doing that to Ben now, only you do it a lot more to him...sometimes he's looking right at you when you make that face...and he still never realized.."

"Gwen, I ain't gay."

Gwen crossed her arms. "You're still in love with my cousin. When are you going to tell him?"

"I'm not in love with him."

"This...this isn't your first dream I entered," Gwen admitted, her voice rushed. "Before I never actively took part, but I watched...I know you were dreaming about Ben a lot lately. And...He was dreaming about you."

"You know, you're too nosy for your own good sometimes."

"If I wasn't, neither one of you would ever have come to terms with this," Gwen defended herself. "Look, tell him or don't. It's your choice. But don't get all jealous when someone else comes and takes him. Ben's a great guy. He doesn't have to wait on you forever."

Kevin kicked at the dirt on the ground, sending a few rocks flying. "I..." He paused, and looked at Gwen carefully. "You're right," the admittal came reluctantly, but Kevin was finally too tired to keep forcing it down. "I...I may have some feelings about Ben."

"Don't tell me that. Tell Ben. You'll wake up in about one minute...head to Mr. Smoothy's. Ben will be there, his usual booth."

"OK...thanks," Kevin said. "And Gwen?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm...I'm sorry. That it didn't work out with us, you know? You're still really great I just..."

"Love someone else," Gwen finished for him. She shrugged. "Make it up to me by making Ben happy, okay?"

"Ok."

* * *

"How many smoothies have you had tonight, man?" Kevin sat down across from Ben, surveying all the empty cups.

"Seven," Ben said with a shrug. "This is my eighth. I go on a bit of a binge when I'm upset, I guess..."

"What are you upset about?"

"Gee, I wonder," Ben said sarcastically, going back to his drink.

"I wanted to talk to you about that, actually," Kevin said, grabbing one of the empty cups and fiddling with it nervously. "Uh...well...about those dreams you'd been having."

"That's not what I'm upset about, Kevin. You know that," Ben's tone was practically acid laced. "And I know you don't want to be around me right now. It's okay. I'll get over it. But not if you keep popping up."

"Well, first off, those dreams are your cousin's fault," Kevin ignored Ben, feeling he needed to explain the full thing. "And secondly, I'm glad she did them."

"Why?" Ben demanded. "You seemed to think I was just joking with you, remember?"

Kevin shook his head. "Denial, I guess. It's just that I...well, Ben...I might," Kevin coughed awkwardly into his hand. "I might feel the same way about you."

"Might?" Ben repeated, setting his smoothie down. But he didn't sound angry anymore. He actually sounded...hopeful, Kevin realized. "When will you know for sure?"

"Umm...well..." Kevin rubbed the back of his neck. "There's one way to test it, but I'm not so sure I'd like to do that in public, you know?"

Ben laughed. "Still worried about your rep, Kevin?" Kevin shrugged.

"It's just a bit awkward, okay? I ain't gonna lie, it'll be weird. But it's the only way to see if it was a fluke or not..."

"If _what_ was a fluke?" Ben asked.

"...that I enjoyed you kissing me," Kevin said softly. "Look, can we go out in the alley or something? This is just..."

But Ben had hopped up from his side of the booth and was now sitting beside Kevin, blocking his route of escape. "Oh no. If you want to try this, and really want to be with me, then you have to be okay with public displays of affection."

Kevin crossed his arms. "And if I say no?"

"Then we just stay friends, I guess."

Kevin sighed. "You know, between you and your cousin, one of you two is gonna drive me crazy."

"Yeah, I know," Ben said cheerfully. He seized that opportunity to give Kevin a very quick peck on the lips. "How'd that feel?"

Kevin smiled at him. "Guess Gwen was right..." He admitted. "I could get used to that. Even in public. But it might take me a while, okay? I'm not saying we can't be together yet, just that...just that it's gonna be weird for a while and it's gonna take me a while to adjust."

Ben nodded. "That's fine with me." A sudden thought seemed to hit him, and he dug around frantically in his pocket before pulling out his cell phone. "There's one thing I have to take care of before we can be together."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"...I completely forgot that Julie and I never officially broke up," Ben explained. "I still have to call her to make sure it's completely called off.

Kevin laughed. "I think she knows."

"Well, it's only fair to make it official," Ben grumbled, starting to dial the phone.

Kevin seized it from him and set it in his own pocket. "You can call her later. It's rude to call your exgirlfriend while you're on a date."

"Is this a date?" Ben asked. "I thought it was going to take you a while to adjust?"

"It will," Kevin admitted. "But dating's step one. Hugging in public's step two, then kissing...then other things."

"Oh," Ben said simply. "So, when are you going to be ready to announce this to everyone? Even like...the dealers you trade with?"

Kevin frowned. "I have no idea. Just give me some time, all right, Ben?"

"Yeah..." Ben agreed, "I think I can live with that."

**The end**


End file.
